Vehicle batteries often need to be charged as the stored power from time to time may become depleted. This is particularly true with battery-powered vehicles, such as electric vehicles, that have no other means to easily self-charge. However, other types of vehicles that do typically have a self-charging capability, such as hybrid cars, can also benefit from being charged from time to time. Battery chargers for vehicles are typically installed outdoors so that the electric vehicle can drive up to it and charge while the owner is shopping or at work.
The charger is typically exposed to the environment, which may cause some level of damage to the charger such as corrosion, water exposure that may short circuit or otherwise damage the internal electrical parts or the like. The charger can also experience wear and tear during normal operations. For example, the charger may operate at a high voltage potential in order to charge the vehicle in a short period of time and thus may generate a high temperature during the charging operation. Also, due to limited space available in the charger, various components of the charger are located in close proximity to each other and thus, may lead to short circuiting of the components. Further, impurities and smoke may be generated during the operation of the charger that may lead to malfunction of the charger. Additionally, as updates and use may change over time, the charger needs to be easily accessed and programmed by the user or a technician.
Accordingly, there is a need for a battery charger that is easy to use and access for updates or programming, and that is resistant to environmental or operational damage.